What do these developments mean for 21st-century organizations? In contrast to the
hierarchical organization chart of the 20th-century organization, the 21st-century organi-
zation is far more likely to look like a web: a flat, intricately-woven form that links part-
ners, employees, external contractors, suppliers, and customers in various collaborations.
The players will grow more and more interdependent, and managing this intricate net-
work will be as important as managing internal operations (Cascio, 2010). This has major
implications for the design and delivery of HRD, as participants may be widely dispersed
in different geographies and time zones. We will have more to say on this issue later.